Letter to Rev. R.M. Laporte Payne 22 Dec 1918

I should like to add my best wishes to the many that you will receive at this season of the year.May your Christmas be very happy and the New Year also.I wonder how your sons are, and whether they will be able to be with you this Christmas-time.

How grand it is to know that the fighting is over at last.It was a wonderful day here “le jour de l’Armistice”.

You will see that we are still in Brest, but I think we may not be staying here much longer for my husband had been definitely called to Brazil by his old “chief”; the length of our stay her just depends on whether he is granted a “sursis” or not, by the French Government.He may have to stay until he is demobilised with the rest of the Army, in that case we should certainly not leave here before April.

Going to Brazil will not be quite strange, although we are not returning to the town Rio Grande.This time it will be to Porto Alegre – the capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sol, and a far prettier town.

Of course it is a long way to go, but I think I prefer it should be now, while Maurice is little, to later on when he will be going to school.He is growing very fast, but is none the less “solid”, there is not much of the “baby” left now.

He remembers you quite well and when we speak of you, among other things he remembers that you “played bricks” with him “on the sofa at home”!“Home” for him is still “Rossroe”.He can say pretty well anything he wants to, in French now, and understands quite as well – he will be able to try Portuguese next!

I hope that we shall spend a few weeks in London before going to Brazil, but I do not know if that will be possible.I should very much have liked my husband to have met you though!

I will close now as it is almost post time.

With very kind regards to Mrs Laporte Payne and many thanks to you for all your thought and goodness,